Wanting More
by ProbsNotPerfect
Summary: Team Natsu has taken another job, but Natsu is fighting his own internal battle. He's formed a little crush on a certain ice mage, and begins to wonder if the feeling is mutual. If only he were better at communicating. Maybe his friends can help? Or would they make it worse? Follow Natsu as he tries his best to learn how to turn his friendship into something more. Gratsu. ON HIATUS
1. Campfire Confessions

Natsu glared off into the distance, watching the sun set further and further. He didn't know why people thought sunsets were so beautiful. They signaled the end of a day, and Natsu hated it when things ended. He preferred watching the sunrise. The start of a new day was always promising, and that was more beautiful than any ending. Unless of course, the ending was a new beginning. But did that make it an ending at all? Did anything ever _really_ end? Natsu decided not to hurt his brain and settled that everything is a cycle.

He let his eyes wander from the sunset over to Lucy, who was currently engaged in some sort of argument with Happy. It didn't sound like either side was winning, but Happy had already succeeded by making Lucy angry. Since Wendy and Carla hadn't come with them on this job, Happy had nothing else to preoccupy his time with. He should have known that by this time of day Lucy was at the end of her rope, and she'd sent the cat flying with one of her famous kicks. Natsu grinned; his two closest friends and they were at each other's throats.

Natsu looked behind him at the inn they'd come across while on their way to the next town. It was small, but it was better than camping out, and Erza and Gray were inside checking for vacancy. Of course, Erza's ginormous luggage cart was parked right outside, and Happy had elected to hide on top of it in order to avoid the still fuming Lucy. The blonde shouted some threatening words at the "stupid cat" and appeared to regain her composure before approaching Natsu.

"Are you alright? You look totally spaced out."

"Yeah, I'm just kinda tired."

"Hopefully there's room for us. I don't think I can spend another night sleeping on the ground."

Natsu didn't respond, turning his attention back to the sunset. He wasn't trying to ignore Lucy, but he had something on his mind. Lucy hated awkward silences, so she decided to fill the void herself and keep talking.

"I was surprised at first that Gray wanted to take this job with us. He's been doing his own thing lately. But then again, there was that whole thing with Juvia this morning."

Lucy thanked her lucky stars when Natsu actually turned to look at her. Apparently Natsu was more interested in guild gossip than he let on.

"What _thing_ with Juvia?"

"Oh yeah, you weren't there. Well, today Juvia was being extra clingy, and Gray must have been in a bad mood or something because he snapped at her! She started crying, which is nothing new, but then he sat her down and told her that he values her friendship but he's not interested in a romantic relationship. Then she started questioning him about "another woman" and _of course_ she jumped to the conclusion that it was _me._ " Lucy looked extremely annoyed by that last statement. It still sent shivers down her spine whenever she heard the words "love rival".

Natsu did his best to portray an idle expression, but inside his mind was racing. _Okay_ , so he'd kinda been crushing on Gray for a while. No big deal, right? Natsu wasn't very good at dealing with his "feelings", and at the time he was pretty sure it would just go away. _What do they call that? A passing attraction? Whatever._ Bottom line is, it _didn't_ go away. Natsu was content to ignore the feelings and just fight Gray whenever they got too difficult to deal with. He thought about talking about it with Lucy, but as much as he trusted her, he didn't know if she could keep it a secret. Telling Happy never crossed his mind. The whole guild would know before he even finished the sentence.

Lucy took Natsu's blank stare as an invitation to give him her opinion. "Anyway, I'm sure she'll still follow him around like a lost puppy dog. I would say I feel bad for any girl Gray flirts with, but I don't think I've ever seen him do that kind of thing. He must just be shy, otherwise he'd probably have been all over me when I first came to the guild." Lucy closed her eyes, imagining herself arriving at the guild and countless men surrounding her, showering her with flowers and gifts.

This time, Natsu _was_ ignoring Lucy. Picturing Gray flirting with Lucy would have just upset him; dragon slayers are notoriously territorial. But she was right about one thing: Natsu also couldn't recall a time he saw Gray flirting with a girl. Sure there were the ones on Galuna island, but Natsu liked to think he was just trying to be nice. Did this mean there was a chance? Could Gray be feeling the same way he was? Natsu didn't want to get his hopes too high, but was it that far fetched of a thought? Even though it sometimes seemed like they hated each other, Gray always stuck around. Why would he be part of "Team Natsu" if he didn't like him?

Both Natsu and Lucy turned around when they heard the unmistakeable sound of Erza's approaching footsteps. The requip mage had a smile on their face and motioned for the two to come inside. Lucy breathed a sigh of relief and hurried through the door. Natsu lingered to retrieve Happy from the top of Erza's luggage, and watched as she struggled to pull the cart inside the inn. Surprisingly, it fit, and he followed behind as she lead them to their room. Happy walked by Natsu's side, clearly still keeping an eye out for the raging blonde.

The room wasn't very big, but it had a bathroom and four cots, which was all they needed. There was a sliding door that led out back behind the inn, and the group discovered a fire pit complete with sticks for roasting marshmallows. The fire was already lit, and Erza apparently kept a supply of marshmallows in one of her may suitcases. After they settled in, the five of them slipped outside and spread out around the campfire. Happy kept burning his marshmallow too much and ended up making Natsu do it for him, which he should have known would result in Natsu eating his marshmallow. Erza took pity on the cat, giving him one of her own.

They were silent for a while, enjoying the peace and quiet of the night. Lucy may have hated awkward silences, but she was totally ok with _comfortable_ ones. She'd had more than her fair share of marshmallows and was currently lying on her back, staring up at the stars. Erza had left at some point to retrieve a bottle of….something suspicious. She didn't offer a drink to anyone else, and she downed it before anyone could ask. Her expression seemed very conflicted, and it was Gray who broke the silence.

"Uhhh….you alright Erza?"

"I'm FINE."

Her sudden increase in volume made even Natsu jump. Lucy sat upright, visibly startled by Erza's sudden outburst. The blonde looked as though she was going to say something, but she found herself trapped in Erza's arms. The requip mage was almost in tears, and Lucy didn't know whether to be concerned or fearing for her life.

"I'm sorry...I just...I love you all so much! The armor around my heart is impermeable to all except you. I don't know how you've put up with me for all this time."

It was very apparent that whatever it was Erza was drinking was _not_ free of alcohol.

"Awww, we love you too Erza. And we don't "put up" with you. You're our friend, we love having you around." Lucy struggled to speak through Erza's death grip. She looked earnestly to Natsu for help.

"Uh, yeah! Even when you're being really scary! As long as there's someone else at the end on your sword." The expression Lucy gave him told him he could have worded that a little better.

Gray joined in to make sure she was convinced. "We couldn't be a team without you Erza." Even though Gray wasn't talking about him, the genuine smile and caring tone of his voice still put butterflies in Natsu's stomach. However, their words only seemed to make Erza more hysterical, tightening her grip around Lucy.

"Thank you so much! And you especially Lucy. Other women are so intimidated by me….I rarely ever have someone to help me do my hair or paint my toenails. Will you help paint my toenails Lucy?!"

"Sure, we can do that first thing tomorrow. But right now, I think we should just go to bed." Lucy stood up, pulling Erza up with her. The blonde waved goodnight to the guys before slowly walking back to their room, practically carrying the intoxicated redhead with her. As soon as they were inside, it was silent around the campfire once again. Natsu finished the last of the marshmallows, this time saving one for Happy. The exceed ate it in one bite and then sprawled out into the grass, rubbing his stomach in satisfaction.

Natsu stole looks at Gray as they watched the fire begin to burn out. He couldn't decide if the moon or the flames illuminated him better, but what he did know was that he was handsome as usual. It felt like a double edged sword when it came to Gray's stripping habit. Natsu was never at a loss if he wanted see Gray shirtless, but he couldn't deny it made him a little angry that _everyone_ else could see him too. He wondered what it would be like having Gray all to himself. _I'll never know if I don't try._

"Gray."

"No flamebrain, you can't eat the fire yet."

" _Gray._ "

Hearing Natsu say his name again instead of getting angry and insulting him caused Gray to look up at his pink haired friend. The look on Natsu's face was one that Gray didn't see often, usually only when he was thinking about Igneel. Gray silently wondered if he looked the same way when thinking about Ur.

"I….got something to tell ya."

Gray shifted his weight a little, feeling awkward. He wasn't very good at consoling people when they were sad, and Natsu had never talked to him about Igneel before. Not all the mushy details anyway. "Ok. What is it?"

"I guess I just wanted you to know….that I care about you. A lot." Natsu couldn't tell if he was feeling the heat from the fire or if his face was starting to match his hair. He averted his eyes away from Gray, scared of his response.

Gray was puzzled, to say the least. That really wasn't what he was expecting the dragon slayer to say. "I..uh...care about you too. We're nakama, remember?" A dreadful thought swam through Gray's mind. _Does he think I don't care because we fight all the time? I thought trading insults and having brawls was just part of our friendship._ Gray deeply hoped he hadn't made his friend feel like he truthfully didn't like him.

Natsu was having a struggle in his mind too. His words had completely gone over Gray's head. It wasn't the ice mage's fault. Natsu almost _never_ talked about things like this out loud. He wasn't sure what to say, or how to say it. The truth was, he didn't know exactly how he felt about Gray. He just knew he wanted him to be more than a friend. How could he make that clear?

"I know that. I just meant that you really matter to me. I like spending time with you and stuff."

Gray smiled in disbelief. Natsu had never been great at communication, and apparently he felt the need to show his appreciation for Gray's friendship. Gray decided that Erza's sudden outbursts had probably made Natsu feel like he needed to say something too. He almost chuckled at how easily Natsu was influenced by the people around him. He was like a little kid. But Gray couldn't deny that sometimes Natsu's immaturity brought him joy.

"I like spending time with you too, loser."

Despite the fact that he felt like Gray still didn't understand what he was trying to say, Natsu couldn't help but smile at the warmth in Gray's words. He decided he could deal with this another time when Gray didn't look so unfairly dazzling in the moonlight. Not long after that, Happy complained that he was tired and all three of them went inside to sleep. Natsu passed out with a smile on his face, feeling like tonight was at least a partial success.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading**

 **More coming soon**

 **Favorite, Follow, and Review :)**


	2. Spark

The sound of Lucy yelling ripped Natsu out of his sleep and caused him to spring upright. Sunlight had already filled their little room, and the dragon slayer was a tensy bit ticked that he missed the sunrise. After how late they'd been out around the campfire, he shouldn't have been so surprised. He then turned towards the source of the sound and found a blushing Gray standing outside the bathroom door. Natsu smirked at the sight of his expression. _He's so cute when he's embarrassed._

Gray's eyes found Natsu's, realizing that his friend was awake. It did nothing to help his humiliation. "Uh….Lucy's taking a bath right now, so I'd stay out of there if I were you."

"Maybe you should take your own advice. Or did you _wanna_ see her?"

"It was an accident, ya flaming idiot."

"Keep telling yourself that, buddy." Natsu abandoned his cot and made his way outside for some fresh air, Happy right behind him. Teasing Gray was too much fun, and the way it made his blush worsen was _adorable._ It also helped that he was denying peeping on an attractive girl, and although Natsu knew that by itself wasn't proof that Gray was into men, he could wish, couldn't he? Looking to his right, he saw Erza already outfront, stuffing things back into one of her many bags. If he would have watched for a little bit longer, he would have seen her reach into her _favorite_ bag and pull out a piece of cake.

Eventually, Lucy exited the bathroom and everyone was packed and ready to go. It wasn't much longer until the next town where their job awaited, and Natsu was eager for some action. The job request they'd chosen told of a small town south of Magnolia which was having disturbances during the night. A group of people (presumably wizards) were appearing in the town at night and terrifying anyone they could find. This has led to almost no one going out after dark, but the figures keep appearing and banging on the doors and windows. The figures are described as tall, cloaked, and spooky.

Carla had insisted Wendy sit this one out, not wanting the girl to get frightened. Despite Happy's protests, the others agreed it was for the best. In hindsight, Lucy probably should have asked Carla to come without Wendy. Then maybe she wouldn't have to deal with Happy's annoyances _every five seconds._ The cat was currently swooping down, collecting leaves or small sticks, and then dropping them into Lucy's hair. The blonde tried to snatch the exceed out of the sky several times, but he was too swift. She debated calling out one of her celestial spirits, but then decided it wasn't worth her magic energy. Instead, she'll just complain about it.

"Natsuuuu, tell that stupid flea bag to leave me alone!"

"Hey, I don't control what Happy does. Besides, he's just havin fun with ya. Right happy?"

"Yeah Lucy, don't be a kill joy."

"I'm gonna be killing a lot more than _joy_ when I get my hands on you."

Lucy's threats only made Happy laugh, continuing to torment the poor girl. Gray rolled his eyes. He recalled what Lucy said the first time she showed up at the guild: " _There's not one sane person in the whole place._ " She was right, but if she thought that didn't apply to her too, she was in major denial. While he was watching the blonde girl swat at the cat, he saw Natsu staring at him out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head slightly to look back at him and saw Natsu quickly shift his gaze to something else. _Well that was weird. But what can you expect? He's always doing weird stuff. Like last night._

Suddenly, a thought swam into the ice mage's brain that he'd never considered. He almost stopped walking, but quickly continued and almost tripped over his own foot. Luckily, it didn't look like anyone had noticed, but Gray was a little preoccupied with his own thoughts anyway. He was brought back to last night's conversation around the fire. " _I care about you. A lot._ " He thought Natsu was just being a moron. " _I just meant that you really matter to me."_ But maybe Natsu wasn't the dumb one this time. " _I like spending time with you and stuff."_

Had Natsu….confessed romantic feelings for him? Gray struggled to remember what he'd said in reply.

" _I like spending time with you too, loser."_

 _Oh boy._

Gray was really glad no one was paying attention to him; he was certain his facial expression showed his current confusion. Did Natsu really feel that way about him? Had Gray rejected him? Now that he was thinking about it in that context, it didn't sound like a rejection. But it didn't sound like he was returning the feelings either. _It sounded like some idiot who completely missed the point._ Was he reading too far into this? This was Natsu he was dealing with here; the king of impulsiveness and unpredictability.

Gray stared straight ahead, not daring to peek behind him again. The town came into view shortly after and, at the requests of Natsu and Happy, they decided to stop and get lunch. A local restaraunt was having a special on fish, so there was no question as to where they were going to eat. The waiter brought them to their table, and Erza slid into one side of the booth, Lucy sitting next to her. Of course this left Gray with the only option of sitting across from the girls next to Natsu. Normally he wouldn't have a problem with this, but given the current situation, he was kinda scared.

Now don't get it twisted, Gray didn't care if Natsu was into guys or not. In fact, his fear came not from Natsu's feelings, but from his own. The thought of Natsu being interested in him romantically made Gray feel all fuzzy inside, something he rarely experienced. Despite their constant bickering, he was always able to be himself around Natsu, a trait Gray felt was very important when choosing a romantic partner. Why would you ever want to be with someone you can't act normal around? So yeah, he liked Natsu. But does that mean he _likes_ Natsu?

This wasn't a question of his sexuality either. One thing he learned from Ur was that people are deeper than their outward appearances. She always taught him that you fall in love with a person, not the way they look or their gender. Gray had never really been the lovesick type, but he definitely counted Erza, Lucy, and Natsu among the people that really know him. It would only make sense that one of them would eventually end up in that kind of relationship together, right? Was he crazy?

The waiter delivered their drinks and took their orders before running off towards the kitchen. Happy, who'd elected to sit _on_ the table, had ordered large amount of fish that was probably going to require every chef in the kitchen to prepare. No one spoke about who was going to pay for the meal, and it would most likely go to whoever couldn't run out of the restaurant before everyone else. Erza pulled out the job flyer and began to recount the details, but Lucy was the only one really listening.

Natsu probably knew somewhere within him that a public place wasn't the prime location to act on his hidden romantic feelings, but he doesn't like to lose. Partial success and success aren't the same thing, so he was still looking for some redemption from last night. Since he apparently wasn't very good at using his words, he decided to take a _different_ approach. Pretending to pay attention to Erza's jabbering, Natsu slowly scooched closer to the ice mage. He didn't want to stare at him, but he tried to use his peripheral vision to gauge Gray's reaction. At first, he didn't seem to notice, but after the second or third scooch, the ice mage clearly tensed up. _Is that good or bad?_

Being an ice wizard, Gray knows what it means to feel frozen. And he'd never felt so locked in place as he did right now, Natsu seemingly moving closer every second. The dragon slayer stopped when their shoulders lightly touched, and Gray marveled at the heat radiating off the pink haired boy's body. Gray didn't like to think of himself as a coward, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't too scared to turn and face Natsu. He just kept staring straight ahead; Erza probably thought he was paying _really_ close attention to everything she was saying. Truthfully, he hadn't heard a word.

Moments later, he felt a warm hand brush against his own, and finally looked Natsu dead in the face. Despite the fact the dragon slayer was the one making the move, his eyes displayed no bravery, but instead a yearning for acceptance. Gray could tell Natsu was afraid, and that made him upset. Did that fiery idiot really think Gray would reject him? Gray knew he was distant sometimes, but he never thought he'd be perceived as unapproachable. How long had Natsu hid these feelings from him? Why did he so suddenly feel like he felt the same way?

Here was someone he'd been close with for many years, now looking for a deeper connection. He'd gotten to know pretty much everyone in Fairy Tail, but things were different with Natsu. Gray had never thought about it before, but seeing the look in Natsu's eyes now told him that it had always been there, a spark waiting to be ignited. Gray only wished he'd had a camera; that face would be something he'd always want to remember. However, something he wanted to see more was Natsu's brilliant smile. Gray didn't break eye contact and took Natsu's hand in his.

As soon as he felt Gray take his hand, Natsu lit up like a thousand lanterns. He smiled his big cheesy smile, and delighted in the way it made Gray blush. He wanted to say something, maybe tease Gray or make a joke about how his hand was cold (Natsu wasn't good at saying romantic things, so humor was really his only option), but he was interrupted by Erza, who had finally realized that neither boy was paying any attention to her.

"Natsu, Gray, are you listening? We need to come up with a strategy to help the villagers."

"Right." Gray's voice cracked mid-word, causing Natsu to chuckle and give his hand a light squeeze. Lucy gave the pair a strange look, but said nothing. Their intertwined hands were hidden under the table, but neither one let go until the food arrived. Someone like Natsu needs both hands to eat at his desired speed. Gray watched as Natsu devoured his meal like a rabid animal. Normally he would have rolled his eyes or yelled at him to eat normally, but this time it only made him smirk. _That's Natsu for ya._

After they finally capped Happy on his fish intake, Erza reluctantly footed the bill and they made their way to the town hall. The mayor was the one who'd put in the request, so they needed to work out all the details with him. The people in the town weren't accustomed to magic, having no major guilds nearby, so it was decided that only one of them should go in so they didn't overwhelm anyone. Erza, being the most mature (usually), was the obvious choice. Lucy absolutely _refused_ to spend one more second in the presence of a certain flying feline and volunteered to go set up a room for them at the local inn. Low on cash, she had Cancer fix up her hair before she left, hoping to use her charms to get them a discount.

Happy was lying on the ground with his bloated stomach, content not to move a muscle since Lucy was gone. This was good, because now Gray and Natsu were basically alone. They _obviously_ needed to talk about what was going on, but Gray was nervous and Natsu liked actions more than words. He was content to show his affection by pouncing on Gray and playfully wrestling him to the ground, but even he knew that _wasn't really_ how things worked. They stood in awkward silence for a moment, stealing glances at each other all the while. It wasn't until their eyes finally locked that Gray spoke up.

"So….uh….I feel like I kinda missed something last night."

"You think so?" Natsu laughed, but Gray didn't think it was so funny.

"Can't you be serious for a second?! We need to talk about this."

"Why?"

"Well….because….I don't know. Don't you feel like we should?"

"What's there to say? I like you, you like me, right?"

"Yeah." Gray blushed again, and Natsu was loving it.

"So that's it! We're on the same page. Don't complicate things, ice princess." The name normally was intended to humiliate Gray, but now it sounded more like a cute nickname.

Gray couldn't think of a way to argue with that. "Ok."

"Good. So what're you still standing over there for?" Natsu slumped down up against the side of the building and patted the spot next to him.

Gray should've known Natsu would be so easy going about this. Truth be told, he was no expert on relationships, so he couldn't honestly say if this was acceptable or not. He sat down next to Natsu, apparently not close enough since Natsu scooched closer _again_ , and listened to the dragon slayer ramble on about what he thought the cloaked figures really were. Gray smiled at Natsu's creativity, and picked which theory he liked best (it involved several small wizards standing on top of one another under the cloaks).

"I'll bet they have four hands instead of feet so they can easily grab onto each other and form the perfect human sized formation."

"How do they keep their balance if they don't have any feet?"

"Can't you stand on your hands?"

"Can you?"

"Watch and learn, captain popsicle. Watch and learn." Gray ignored the friendly insult as he watched Natsu get up and try to do a handstand. He only succeeded for a few seconds before toppling over and landing with his head in Gray's lap. Finally, the tables had turned, as Natsu's cheeks were filled with a rosy hue. Gray just smiled down at him.

"Nice try, flame head."

The romantic moment was interrupted by Happy releasing a large burp, causing both boys to burst into a fit of laughter. Erza returned from inside the hall and smiled at the sight of them. She loved to see those two getting along.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading**

 **More coming soon**

 **Favorite, Follow, and Review :)**


	3. Sunrise

After talking with the mayor, Erza had learned that the cloaked figures only appeared on nights with clear skies. Although there was no rain today, the sky had been progressively getting darker, and by nightfall it would be difficult to spot a single star. With that in mind, the group decided to get a full night of rest so that they could be wide awake should the figures attack tomorrow. They weren't sure what they were going up against; it could turn out that the figures were just local troublemakers with no magical abilities at all. But just in case they were facing a powerful foe, they wanted to be prepared.

Unfortunately, after the large bill from their earlier meal, Erza was low on cash. Gray had paid for the last room, and Natsu wasn't exactly the best with saving money. Try as she might, Lucy failed to get any sort of discount at the inn and was only able to afford a room with two small beds. They didn't even have their own bathroom, and Lucy nearly cried when she realized she'd be bathing among strangers. Dinner that night was comprised of whatever leftovers they had from the restaurant and a few pieces of cake from Erza's bag.

The second the last ray of sunlight disappeared from view, Erza stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Alright, we've got a big day tomorrow so everyone needs to get some rest."

Natsu wasn't quite ready for bed. "Aw, come on. You didn't even give me a piece of cake yet."

"I don't care. We have a job to do and we can't do it if we're too tired."

"But I just-"

"Do I need to help you get to sleep, Natsu?"

Natsu shuddered at the thought of Erza's methods for putting him to sleep. It probably involved giving him a bump on his head that'd feel sore in the morning. He aggressively shook his head and Erza smiled at his obedience. She then crossed the room, requiped into her pajamas, and collapsed onto one of the beds. Lucy was right behind her, taking care not to wake the seemingly already asleep readhead. Happy had already fallen asleep on top of plate that used to be filled with fish, and Natsu was content to leave him there. _He'd want it that way._

Gray was honestly a little nervous about sharing a bed with Natsu. He was already so confused about whatever their relationship was at the moment, and Natsu not wanting to talk about it didn't help. He waited for Natsu to make the first move, and didn't have to wait long. The dragon slayer quickly swiped a small piece of cake and stuffed it in his mouth before flopping onto the bed in satisfaction. Gray watched with a smile as Natsu wiggled himself underneath the covers and got comfortable. The dragon slayer yawned and settled his head on the pillow, looking uncharacteristically peaceful.

Gray stood up and stretched, still not moving to get into bed. _That doofus takes up half the bed alone. Maybe I should just sleep on the floor._ The bed _was_ very small, and truthfully, Natsu looked too cute to disturb. Before Gray could make a decision, Natsu opened his eyes and picked his head up, looking confused. His eyes found Gray and he gave an innocent little grin. He spoke in the quietest and softest voice Gray had ever heard him use: "Come on." The dark haired boy almost shivered. He knew Natsu was a generally warm and inviting guy, but he'd never experienced this kind of behavior from him before. It was very obvious that Natsu liked close contact with Gray, and it was almost too much for the ice mage to handle.

Not having the strength to ignore the adorable invite, Gray slowly made his way over to the bed and slipped under the covers next to Natsu. It was a strange sensation, being that close together. Natsu's body was always warmer than the average person, and Gray's was colder. At the moment, they were barely touching, but they could both feel how they balanced each other out. It was like going inside after being out in the snow and jumping in a pool on a hot summer day all at the same time. Gray was initially tense at the feeling, but slowly allowed himself to relax.

Natsu only allowed Gray a few moments of comfort before he acted on his urges to pull the ice mage closer. He wrapped an arm around Gray's bare chest, resting his head on it as well. Natsu felt momentary nerves when Gray tensed up again, but inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when he felt Gray's arm curl around him in return. Although they'd probably deny it until they died, they both had severe redness spread across their face until they both drifted off into peaceful slumber.

* * *

Gray awoke to the absence of warmth in his bed. Peeling his eyes open, he found that it was still mostly dark, the sun _barely_ peeking over the horizon. He was a little more upset than necessary that Natsu had left him alone in bed, but figured he'd probably gotten hungry or something. After letting his eyes adjust and spotting a still sleeping Happy on the floor, he doubted this reason. If Natsu got up _that_ early for breakfast, there's no way he wouldn't have woke Happy up too. The two girls were still asleep, so he took comfort in knowing Natsu and Erza hadn't decided to have some sort of duel first thing in the morning.

Eventually, Gray spotted Natsu outside the sliding door of their room. This inn was devoid of a fire pit, and simply had a grassy area behind it that could be considered a small park. Gray slid out of bed and quietly opened the door, not wanting to disturb his sleeping comrades. The breeze tickled his bare skin as he made his way over to Natsu. The dragon slayer was lying on his back on a little hillside, his hands behind his head as he watched the sky. If he sensed Gray's approach, he didn't show it, and Gray sat down next to him without a word.

After a moment, Natsu sat up, finally looking away from the sky for a moment. He studied Gray, his brain suddenly considering a thousand things at once.

"Are you mad?" Natsu couldn't tell if Gray was upset or just tired.

Gray hadn't been expecting the question. "Why?"

"You look mad."

"You do realize it's like six in the morning right?"

"That's why I didn't wake you up, Mr. Grumpy." That infectious Natsu smile was back, and Gray had to look away to avoid smiling himself. This time, it was the ice mage who scooched closer.

"Do you always wake up to watch the sunrise?"

"Yeah."

"Well, next time wake me up too."

"I thought you'd think it was stupid."

"Eh, it kinda is." Gray lightly placed a hand on Natsu's cheek and gave him a quick peck on the lips. The kiss was soft and fleeting, but made both of their stomachs perform acrobatics. "But it's better than waking up without you."

Natsu didn't have a response for that, and he didn't need one. The pair continued to watch the sunlight in silence, leaning on each other all the while. Erza watched the boys from the window, feeling happier than she thought was necessary. But she couldn't help it. She'd known both of them for a big chunk of her life, and she knew how starved each of them were for affection. Neither one of them had the best past with parental figures, and maybe that's what drew them towards each other. Despite their constant fighting, Erza could sense the love underneath, and had been waiting for the day when they figured it out too.

However, the requip mage knew there were more important things going on than watching the sunrise with your loved ones. She shook off the mushy feelings and opened the door.

"Enough lounging around you two! Get dressed. We've got work to do."

The boys were visibly startled, but Erza slipped back inside without giving them a second look, so there was only a slight feeling of embarrassment. Natsu was up first, nearly sprinting back to the room. In the few seconds Erza had the door open, Natsu's powerful nose managed to catch the scent of freshly made pancakes. Gray followed slowly behind, not even trying to hide his smile. _This is the guy I fell for? Figures._

* * *

The day sped by quickly, crammed with warnings from the townspeople and strategies from Erza. It was pretty hard to come up with a plan when you weren't exactly sure what you're up against, but the group was pretty certain there was at least some magic involved here. _Otherwise_ the people in the village probably could have formed an angry mob and chased them away themselves. They weren't big fans of wizardry, but apparently were ok with calling on it in their time of need. Everyone ignored their hypocritism due to the hefty reward offered for completing the job.

Night finally came, and there wasn't a cloud to be seen. The four wizards (and an exceed) stood in the heart of the town, awaiting the cloaked figures to emerge. It was clear they were coming. It was absolutely silent. The type you only hear when something is about to happen; when there's something or someone lurking in the shadows. Lucy clutched her keys. She also didn't like _scary_ silences. Gray's eyes constantly darted back and forth, awaiting anything that might jump out at him. Natsu kept sniffing the air, trying to pick up the scent of whoever they were expecting. Erza was completely still, sword in hand and ready for anything.

The figures appeared slowly. They stepped out from behind buildings and creeped in from the alleyways, coming from every direction. They made no sound, just slowly moving to surround the Fairy Tail wizards. None of them could deny, this was eerie and unsettling. Gray felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, and he looked to Natsu to see if he was scared too. Scared wasn't the right word to describe the dragon slayer. He looked aggressive, but in a defensive sort of way. Like a dog defending it's owner. He gave Gray a reassuring look before continuing to glare at the approaching figures.

It was very clear that Team Natsu was _way_ outnumbered, but so far no moves had been made by the cloaked figures. After surrounding them, they simply stopped moving, still not making a single sound. Even to the bravest of souls, it was at least unnerving. Happy, who'd been previously flying around freely, had since retreated to Natsu's shoulder. Lucy resisted the urge to ask what the _hell_ they were going to do, fearing what would happen if she broke the silence. Barely a minute had passed, but it might as well have been hours. The tension kept building and building, and the suspense was unbearable. Finally, Erza spoke.

"Who are you?" Her voice was strong and commanding as usual, showing no sign of fear.

The only response was the drawing of weapons.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. I meant to update this over the weekend but then I did that thing where I didn't do anything for two days. I don't recommend it.**

 **More coming soon**

 **Favorite, Follow, and Review :)**


	4. Victory

Despite their threatening appearance, the cloaked figures weren't very proficient with their seemingly makeshift weapons. Natsu and Gray hardly had to use their magic to take them down, and Erza only used a single sword. Lucy didn't even need to summon one of her spirits and was able to rely solely on her whip. But what they lacked in skill they made up for in numbers. When you took out one, another one would creep in from behind a building, weapon at the ready. They had swords, axes, knives, and even bows. All were crudely made and they didn't stand a chance. It seemed as though the fight would be over within minutes.

And yet, there was a purpose for all these failed attacks. Eventually, more and more of the figures directed their fury towards Erza. Even though she was surrounded, she handled them all with ease. But not all of them were attacking her; many of them stood back and formed a ring around the requip mage. By the time anyone could have realized what was happening, it was too late. One of the figures who had been hanging back raised a clenched fist and dark energy surged out of the ground beneath Erza. It sapped her of all her energy and left her on the ground in a heap. Lucy began making her way through the figures to Erza's side, easily striking them down as she went along.

Natsu gave an angry glare to the caster. "Who do you think you are?"

The figure gave a slight chuckle before removing his hood. The figure was a man in his late twenties with a grin that could only make you swoon or shudder. Given the context, it was probably the latter. " _I_ am Mercer, a name all will soon know. And I _think_ I am the man who will soon destroy you."

Gray ignored the threat and demanded an answer. "Why are you bothering the locals? Don't you have anything better to do?"

Mercer chuckled again. "I am not _bothering_ anyone. My intention is to _scare_ them. I am mage of fear, meaning I feed off the feelings of terror and fright. The more afraid they are, the stronger I become. I knew they'd send for some guild mages eventually, and think of how scared they'll be when I take you down! Word will spread, and so will the fear. I'll be able to feed off of anyone who's ever heard of me and eventually dominate the entire region."

"I didn't ask for your life story, punk. But at least now I have a pretty good reason to beat you to a pulp."

"An ice make wizard? Hardly scary at all. Your flaming friend is much more my speed. Would you be interested in joining me and becoming a giant jack o'lantern?"

"Heck no! You're going down! You don't scare me!"

"We'll see." With a wave of his hand, the cloaked figures sprang into action again. Natsu and Gray quickly found themselves surrounded. The figures' skills hadn't increased, and they were still easily defeated by the duo. Mercer seemed unfazed as his followers fell to the ground, preparing to enter the fray himself. He came at Gray first, shooting several tiny blasts of his dark magic. Gray easily dodged, making an ice lance to strike at the approaching wizard with. Mercer rolled his eyes, shattering the lance with a single blast. Gray was caught off guard, and the next wave of projectiles hit him head on. He stumbled backwards, struggling to keep his balance. The blasts were tiny, but felt sharp and stung. Gray regained his balance and ditched his shirt. _This was getting serious._

"Nice try, ice boy. If you're trying to make up for not being menacing, it's not working. Nudity doesn't scare me. Although, it is slightly distracting…"

Gray ignored him again and created an ice cannon. Mercer easily destroyed the ice ball before exploding the canon, knocking Gray off his feet. Natsu instinctively whipped around and the sound of Gray grunting in pain. Thrashing the last of the figures out of the way, he aimed a fire dragon iron fist straight for Mercer's smug face. He easily sidestepped and gave a sharp kick to Natsu's rear end, sending him sprawling across the ground next to Gray.

The pair got to their feet and dusted themselves off. Mercer looked unimpressed by them, shaking his head and looking down at his nails. This only served to further anger Natsu, but Gray knew they were going to need their wits about them in order to win. He placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder, feeling him relax slightly. Gray almost chuckled at how easily he could calm the dragon slayer. Maybe it was the coolness of his skin, but Gray liked to think it was because Natsu liked him so much. When the fiery mage turned to face him, Gray tried to give him a serious look.

"We need a plan if we're gonna squash this guy."

"Plan? We just need to smash him into the dirt! The sooner we get done, the sooner we can go to bed and I can cuddle with you."

Gray fought back the flush that threatened to explode onto his face. "Natsu, be serious."

"I am being serious. Don't you wanna cuddle later?" Natsu and Gray differed on what things you should say out loud. Natsu just said whatever was on his mind, and Gray knew it was going to cause him embarrassment in the future if he was going to continue this relationship. It also was going to cause some distractions. Like right now.

Gray spoke in a hushed voice. "Yes, but if we get maimed by this guy, it's not going to be very comfy. So we need to focus and come up with a strategy."

Natsu nodded his head, trying to quell his growing anger. Mercer apparently noticed them again, as he sent a long arrow shaped burst of magic at the pair. They quickly jumped backwards, and it passed through the space between them. The fear mage clicked his tongue.

"Look, ice boy, I'm not sure what your goal is by stripping down, but you've got my attention. Give me a little show, maybe I'll spare you. Give me a little more, I'll even let you join me."

Gray didn't remember taking off his pants, but he looked down to discover himself in his boxers. He felt immense humiliation and was about to yell something back at that creep, but Natsu beat him to it. "LISTEN HERE YOU BOOGIEMAN WANNABE! YOU KEEP YOUR FILTHY HANDS TO YOURSELF!" Natsu's fists were clenched, and he looked about ready to burn down everything in sight. Mercer seemed unfazed, simply cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

"What's the matter, fire breath. Feeling jealous?"

Natsu broke into a sprint, ready to grind the arrogant man into dust. Mercer was ready, already building up magic energy between his hands. Gray could do nothing but watch as the two were about to collide. He shielded his eyes, expecting a massive explosion. Instead, Mercer leapt backwards into the air and shot his streak of magic onto the ground. Instead of erupting, it merely tripped Natsu, causing him to tumble forward and fall flat on the ground in a heap. Natsu found it difficult to stay angry after falling flat on his face. _Maybe I'll just lie here for bit._

"Get up Natsu!"

 _Nope. Nevermind. Gray says get up._

"This ends now! When I count to three, hit him with everything you've got!"

"Sounds good to me!"

Mercer was starting to get annoyed. "Aren't you tired of being humiliated? Give into your fear and quit!"

"One!" Gray began counting, and both he and Natsu began charging towards the fear mage. The man began building up energy again, feeling confident he would prevail.

"Two!" Natsu was closer, and prepared for another fire dragon iron fist. Gray kept running, waiting for the perfect moment. If his plan (which he came up with in thirty seconds) was going to work, it would have to be timed perfectly.

"Three!" Just as Natsu reached Mercer, Gray created an ice prison that enclosed the other two. This prevented Mercer from dodging effectively, as he didn't have time to destroy the prison before Natsu was upon him. In a last ditch effort, he fired another arrow shaped blast at Natsu, but it had almost no effect. The following iron fist sent him flying into the side of the ice cage, shattering it. Mercer hit the ground hard, groaning loudly. He would not be getting back up any time soon.

Any of the remaining cloaked figures fled, tripping over themselves in their hasty escape. The townspeople slowly exited their homes and began to cheer. Gray turned around to look for Natsu, but quickly found himself wrapped in the dragon slayers arms, Natsu's lips fiercely pressed against his own. He gave into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Natsu in return. The cheers of the crowd only seemed to increase in volume; everyone loves a good love story. When they finally pulled apart, Natsu had stars in his eyes. Gray grinned as Natsu was reluctant to let him go, and they felt the familiar balance of their conflicting temperatures.

Of course, Natsu had to go and ruin the moment by talking. "You taste like victory."

"And what does victory taste like?"

Happy, who appeared out of nowhere, answered that question. "Fish! Duh!"

Beside him was a smiling Erza, who was supported by Lucy, still getting her strength back. Lucy looked incredibly shocked. "So, when did _this_ happen?"

"Oh come on Lucy. Surely I wasn't the only one who sensed their connection."

Lucy turned to Erza, looking even more baffled. "You knew?"

"I believe I knew before they did. You know how stubborn they can be."

Happy chimed in. "I think Lucy's _jealous._ "

"I am NOT you stupid cat!"

* * *

As expected, Natsu and Gray _did_ end up cuddling that night. However, they had to wait until the girls fell asleep because despite Erza and Lucy claiming they weren't, Natsu and Gray were being observed. Very closely. Apparently there was something adorable about the two being together, but they didn't find it _adorable_ that they were being watched. Once they were sure the girls were asleep and not faking it (they tried that more than once), Natsu nearly tackled Gray, snuggling up to him like a puppy. Gray had no complaints.

The next morning, they received a massive thank you from the villagers and accepted their hefty reward. After enjoying a free breakfast at the local restaurant, Team Natsu began making their way back to Magnolia. With their newfound wealth, everyone had a bit of spring in their step. Lucy wasn't shouting threats at Happy, instead thinking of everything she could buy with all this extra cash.

"I'll get some new outfits and maybe some fancy jewelry. I'll even hit up the book store."

"Don't forget about your rent." Natsu said casually. He strolled along next to Gray, debating on whether or not to hold his hand. It might have been kinda childish, but Natsu wasn't a very mature guy. As a dragon slayer, he felt the need to make sure everyone knew Gray was his.

Lucy did not want to be reminded of her rent, an everlasting issue within her life. "So, are you and your _boyfriend_ going to move in together now?" She spat the word boyfriend like it tasted bad in her mouth. Happy had been partially right; she wasn't jealous because she wanted to be with Natsu or Gray, she was jealous because _she_ still didn't have a boyfriend.

"For sure." Natsu answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Gray hadn't even thought about it. "We are?"

"Do you not want to?"

"I don't know….we haven't really talked about it."

"So? Just bring all your stuff to my place. You do want to live with me, right?"

"Yeah, I just….does it feel like we're rushing?"

"Not really. If anything, it's taking too long"

Gray shook his head. "Everything takes too long for you."

Natsu took this opportunity to take Gray's hand, and the ice mage didn't resist. Natsu gave his signature grin. "You're my boyfriend." Gray looked at him inquisitively. "I just wanted to say it." Natsu squeezed Gray's hand, repeating it again. "You're my boyfriend."

Gray smiled back, not fighting against the butterflies dancing in his stomach. "I guess I am."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. I've been kinda bleh lately, but I'm ready to be done with that and get back to more frequent updates.**

 **More coming soon!**

 **Favorite, Follow, and Review :)**


	5. Back to the Guild

Gray hadn't realized how nervous he was until Magnolia came into view. His new relationship with Natsu was going to make things difficult, especially since he had no idea what to expect. It's not that he was ashamed or embarrassed to be in a relationship with the fire breather, but he wasn't too keen on public displays of affection. So far, Natsu seemed not to care much who was around, considering he kissed him in front of an _entire village_. Natsu's reluctance to talk to him about anything was going to make it a hell of a lot more difficult.

Surprisingly, Natsu wasn't holding Gray's hand at the moment, instead running ahead of the group, Happy in tow. Apparently their breakfast that morning hadn't been enough and they were eager to pig out back at the guild hall. Gray couldn't help but smile, although he tried to keep it hidden. Lucy and Erza were still watching both boys intently, apparently relishing in the "cuteness" of their relationship. Erza must have picked up on some of Gray's nerves, as she offered some reassurance.

"I am certain everyone at the guild will be nothing but happy for the two of you. If anyone pays as much attention as I do, some may not be too shocked. I believe Mirajane started a betting pool awhile ago…"

"WHAT? People were placing bets?"

"Not just on you two. I think I recall something about Lucy and Leo as well."

The blonde, who'd been lost in thought thinking about her book, was snapped back to reality by this comment. "Are you kidding me? Who was placing bets? Don't tell me you were part of it, Erza."

"Don't worry, I didn't take part in any bets that had to do with you." The look Erza gave Gray suggested she might not have been able to say the same about him. Gray rolled his eyes. Leave it to his fellow guildmates to profit off of his love life.

The guild hall now in sight, a whole new strand of worry weaved itself into Gray's conscious mind. He'd only just gotten Juvia to understand he wasn't interested before he'd left, and now he was going to return from the job already in a relationship. He didn't even want to think about what that might do to her. He meant everything he said to her; he valued their friendship and appreciated all the above and beyond nice things she did for him. The last thing he'd want to do is hurt her feelings. But what was he supposed to do? He couldn't hide his relationship from her. Odds are the whole guild is already talking about it. Would she understand? As they reached the entrance, he hoped he would not be greeted by a flood of her tears.

Instead, they were greeted with stares and hushed whispers. Natsu had obviously already told them _something_ because all eyes were glued to the ice wizard as he crossed the room, joining Natsu in a booth. The silence creeped him out. Natsu didn't seem to notice, already digging into his meal. Gray sat uncomfortably until Gajeel approached the booth, staring down at the ice wizard. He hadn't considered the thought that anyone might have a problem with this type of relationship. Natsu was at his side, so he wasn't afraid. He met Gajeel's gaze, searching for signs of anger.

"Tell me it's not true. Tell me you of all people isn't actually dating this loser."

Gray felt an astronomical amount of relief sweep over him. _Relax idiot, we're all a family here._

"It's true. I'm still kinda shocked about it myself."

Gajeel shook his head. "I don't believe it. Never thought fire belly would find a mate before me. Hell, I didn't think he'd find one at all. Guess I underestimated his charming stupidity."

Natsu didn't seem to notice the insults and in the interest of avoiding a fight, Gray ignored them too. As Gajeel turned to leave, Mirajane sped up to the pair with a gleeful look on her face. She was clearly more excited than anyone to see these two had finally gotten together, although she was a little upset it was without her help. Gray winced when she produced a piece of paper, already knowing what it contained.

"I knew this would happen eventually but I still can't believe it! Finally we'll get some use out of our betting pool! Alright, let's see who had money on you two hooking up."

Natsu spit out the piece of meat he'd been devouring. "WHAT? You guys were placing bets?!"

Gray rolled his eyes. "Is it really that surprising?"

Mirajane chuckled. "The person who bet the most money on Gratsu becoming a thing was Cana! You can pick up your winnings from the counter anytime."

Cana smirked. "You can just pay me in booze. That'll be a lot of barrels." Gray gave her a cold look, which she only scoffed at. "Come on Gray. We grew up together. You think I wouldn't notice you checking him out all the time?"

Gray's furious blush ruined any chance he had of denial. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Natsu couldn't believe his eyes. He loved blushing Gray already, but it was so much cuter when he was the cause. His food forgotten, he extended his arm around Gray's shoulder, pulling the other boy tight to his body. "It's ok ice princess. I'm a fire breather, it's natural to think I'm hot." Natsu gave his signature smile but Gray could only cringe. He began to think that showing up to the guild hall was not a very good idea.

Mirajane continued to read the list. "Also placing winning bets: Erza, Bisca, Master, Levy, Alzack, and Wendy."

Natsu and Gray exchanged bewildered glances. "WENDY?"

The youngest dragon slayer gave a shy chuckle. "I knew at least Natsu liked Gray. He doesn't look at anyone else like he looks at Gray." This was followed by several "awws" from various occupants of the guild hall. Gray had never wanted to leave the guild hall this much in his entire life.

Carla, although looking uninterested, added her own piece of evidence. "There was also that time we caught him smelling one of Gray's shirts." This statement caused bouts of laughter from almost everyone in the guild, save for Mirajane who still thought it was adorable. Natsu, who seemed to be immune to embarrassment, simply shrugged it off. Gray looked at him quizzically.

"What? You smell really good."

Gray didn't have a response to that other than blushing more. He watched as everyone collected their winnings and began to go about their business. _That could have been worse, I guess._ Gray tried to look on the positive side, but his worries were not over. There was still no sign of Juvia, and it was her reaction that could be the most extreme. It was probably for the best that she wasn't here right now. He should probably tell her about this himself, one on one.

* * *

Juvia didn't arrive to the guild hall until later that evening. As usual, she immediately went looking for her beloved Gray. She dearly hoped he'd have returned from his job by now. It was killing her to be away from him for so long. One day is bad enough, but three? She couldn't bare it, and if he hadn't returned yet, she would go looking for him. She scanned the hall for a few moments and spotted Erza, who she knew had gone on the job with him. This meant her precious darling was back! Juvia ran over to the requip mage to badger her for information.

"Oh, hello Juvi-"

"Have you seen Gray?! I haven't been able to find him and there's something important I have to tell him!"

"And what's that?"

"Well….as you know, before you all left, Gray told me he didn't want to be together with me. But I figured this job would give him some time to think, and maybe he'd realize we were meant for each other when he came back! So I wanted to find him and make sure he knows my feelings are still strong in case he changed his mind." Juvia seemed very confident that this was the case, and Erza felt immense amounts of pity. The redhead knew Gray had wanted to deal with this himself, but Erza felt as though this was more than he could handle.

She decided if she was going to take care of this, she'd need some assistance. "I haven't seen Gray since we got back, but why don't we go ask Lucy."

"Lucy? Why would _she_ know where he is? You don't think she used this job to win his affections do you?!"

Erza sighed. _This is going to be harder than I thought._ She gave no answer, simply grabbing Juvia and weaving around all the patrons of the guild, making her way to where the blonde sat. Lucy was currently engaged in conversation with Mirajane. Erza didn't know if having the magazine model there would help or make things worse, but she figured they better keep the talk of placing bets to a minimum. When they reached the counter, Erza forced Juvia onto a bar stool and began to fill Lucy in.

"I believe Juvia is going to need our help understanding the current situation."

Lucy looked confused momentarily, but then her eyes grew wide. "Do we have too?"

Erza firmly nodded. "It's for the good of the guild."

Lucy sighed, turning to face Juvia. This was _not_ what she had in mind for today. After their long and spooky job, she was hoping to treat herself with a relaxing bath and a good book. Lucy now realized she should have left much earlier. Staying at the guild hall too long almost always resulted in getting dragged into some sort of mess. Juvia was already giving her a somewhat aggressive look, and she was thankful that it wasn't her who was dating Gray. She then pictured an all out brawl between Juvia and Natsu, and realized this situation had the potential to be _really bad_. Like, rebuilding the guild hall again bad.

Juvia grew impatient. "If you aren't going to tell me where Gray is then I must go and look for-"

Erza pushed the water mage back onto the stool as she tried to rise. This had to be done, and she wanted to get it over with. "Juvia, you may go look for Gray in a second, but there's something you should know first."

It was then that Mirajane realized what they were about to do. "Oh dear. I'll go get her a drink."

Juvia began to panic. "What does that mean? Has something bad happened to Gray? Is he dead?! Ohhh, I knew I should have followed him on that job!" She began to sob and Erza resisted the urge to smack her, instead placing her hand (not very gently) onto the girl's shoulder.

"I assure you, Gray is just fine. No need to get upset."

Juvia stopped crying only to appear impatient again. "Then what's going on?"

Erza glanced at Lucy, who showed no intention of breaking the news to the lovesick mage. Sighing once again, she braced herself for the worst. "On our job, Gray and Natsu both discovered their feelings for each other. It's been pretty apparent for a long time that they've both felt this way, but they are just now acting on it. Bottom line is, they are together now. Gray values you as a friend, but he does not hold any romantic feelings for you."

It was silent for a moment. Erza studied Juvia carefully, trying to discern what she was thinking. The blue haired girl simply stared, not showing any type of emotion. Lucy sunk lower and lower in her chair, waiting for the eruption of tears she was certain would come. Mirajane returned with a drink, simply sliding it across the counter towards Juvia. The rain woman closed her eyes, took a deep breath in, and let it out slowly. She grabbed her drink, took a sip, and set it calmly back down onto the counter. Erza and Lucy exchanged surprised looks.

"I must say, you're taking this much easier than I-"

"WHYYYYYYYYYYY?!" Juvia burst into tears and wailed like an infant. Lucy and Erza both began to frantically try and comfort the girl. Lucy drew back when she saw Juvia throw her arms out, expecting the girl to attack her. Instead, Lucy once again found herself engulfed in a spine crushing hug. "This whole time I thought it was _you_ who wanted to steal Gray from me. Turns out Gray was taken from both of us by another man! I'M SORRY!"

Lucy continued to tell her it was ok and reminded her that she never actually wanted Gray in the first place. Erza stood by them, pondering what to do next. She'd been expecting this kind of reaction, but she wasn't sure how to resolve it. She _could_ just let Juvia cry until she felt better, but she doubted it would take less than a couple hours. And it was likely she'd continue to burst into tears anytime she saw the couple together. No, they needed a more permanent solution. Something that would make everyone happy.

 _Wait._ Erza's eyes lit up. _That's it._

"Juvia, you love Gray, don't you?"

The rain woman momentarily stopped her wailing to profess her love. "Of course I do! I love him more than a thousand-"

Erza didn't need to hear the details. "So you want Gray to be happy, right?"

Juvia simply nodded, still sniffling.

"Well, I've known Gray for a long time, and believe me when I say I've never seen him happier since he and Natsu started dating."

Lucy, desperate to get out of the hug, offered her own support. "Yeah! Gray doesn't usually smile very often, but he's always grinning whenever he's with Natsu. Even though he thinks nobody notices."

Juvia released Lucy from her hug and slouched in her chair, facing the floor. "He's really so much happier with him and not me?"

Erza shook her head. "You're missing the point Juvia. Yes, he's happy with Natsu. But when your friends are in a relationship, you're supposed to be happy for them. And I know nothing would make Gray happier than knowing we all support him, especially you, Juvia."

Juvia looked up, tears still present in her eyes. "Really?"

Erza smiled warmly. "Absolutely." And although she didn't say anything else, Juvia gave a thoughtful expression that told Erza she was finally starting to get it.

* * *

 **Update: I have not completely abandoned this story. I have kind of lost interest in this fandom/show for the moment, but I have no doubt I'll be back eventually. It might be awhile, but I do have intentions of finishing this story.**


End file.
